Eulia And The Butterfly Dragon

Chapter 6 Fire

Jacob was busy firing the inside of the barrel he was making for the whiskey trade. David was working with the apprentices when somebody outside shouted.

"FIRE! FIRE!" The building emptied as everyone stopped work to run outside to possibly fight the fire. David shaded his brow to scan the distant pillars of smoke. "Its the outlying farms burning," Someone said loudly.

"THE GIRLS!" David shouted.

"They are with Agnes," Jacob said. "We can't get there in time now. Hopefully the marauders won't see the little cottage. They will strike the village next."

"Marauders!" David whispered.

"Listen everyone!" Jacob said, "We must defend our village. Mom, get the women and children into the cooperage cellar, Freddy you defend the women and children. Everyone grab a tool, I have a plan. David, Jeremy grab a long rope." Grasping a hammer Jacob led a small group of determined men while others scurried for safely. They assembled in the livery barn. Some of the men arming themselves with hay forks. "We can move the wagons to block the road and funnel them through this narrow gate the Yellow Coach uses."

"What do I do with the rope?" David asked.

"String it across the road. Leave it down and have four men on it. I'll shout just as the horseman come around the bend. Pull the rope tight we need to trip as many horses as we can."

"What if they see the rope?" someone asked.

"Timing is essential. Once the horses fall and tangle the others we strike." Jacob said firmly. "Take no prisoners."

"Damn Jake!" his father said, "You're saying we murder those men?"

"It's them or us, Dad."

"Then we can check on the girls," David said.

Under Jacob's command all the wagons in the barn and the street were moved restricting access to the road and the heavy rope laid across the road. Jacob climbed into the hay loft as it gave him full view of the battle field. They had about a dozen men armed with hay forks and heavy tools. They scattered hiding among the wagons. "Everyone get ready, hear they come." The group of horsemen were all dressed in black with heavy hoods on. They rode up the road in a tight group spurring their mounts into a full run. They were armed with short shotguns and long knives, as they approached the livery barn Jacob shouted, "NOW!"

The four men pulled the rope tight securing it to wagon wheels as the leading horses struck the rope and tripped. The following horses colliding with the others dumping their riders. Jacob jumped from the loft and used his hammer to crush the head of one of the marauders. Other men rushed in and using hay forks and tools dispatched the men. The battle lasted only a few seconds but at the end eight men lie dead. None of the villagers was hurt. David and Jacob seized one of the shotguns and a long knife. Many of the horses were badly injured and would need to be put down. Three were standing and Jacob and David mounted two.

"We'll check the outlying farms," Jacob shouted. They pushed hard and raced toward Agnes's cottage. They left the main road and turned onto the narrow track to the cabin. They did not see any riders but the black smoke from Ian's farm blackened the sky just over the low ridge to the south. They slowed their horses as they reached the cabin then dismounted and ran to the door. Everything appeared quiet and abandoned. Jacob saw two messages tacked to the door and removed them. "This one is from my sister, it's for you." Jacob handed the note to David as he tore his note open.

"They left with Agnes yesterday," David said, "They will be back in a few days."

"Thank the gods," Jacob whispered. "Let's check Ian's place." They approached the farm slowly guns at the ready. The barn had collapsed but the house stood. "That's Mari, nailed to the door. She's still alive." They approached the door. Jacob removed his coat and covered Mari's nakedness. "Mari, it's me and David. We'll get you down." Mari opened her eyes. Her face was bruised and tears fell from her eyes. They removed the long knife piercing her belly pinning her back to the door. Getting the nails from her feet proved difficult. Then Jacob put his arm around her waist supporting her weight while David removed the nails from her hands. David laid his coat on the ground and Jacob lay her on the coat.

"Becky...Euly?" she whispered.

"They're safe," Jacob said softly.

"They beat me and raped me.They were laughing as they nailed me to the door and forced Ian to watch." Mari was sobbing.

"We'll find Ian," David said.

"They forced everyone into the barn...I know Euly will be safe with you, Jake what about my baby."

"I promise you I will take her and raise her as my own until your recover," Jacob said. "I'll stay with you. Let me send David for a healer."

"It's too late for me. Thank you, both of you." Mari smiled and reached out to Jacob then closed her eyes in death.

Jacob and David entered the house. They took several blankets and emptied Eulia's wardrobe packing her belongings in her travel bag. Then they shifted through the rubble in the burnt out barn and collected all the remains. They wrapped the remains in the blankets and Mari's body in a blanket. They found a shovel by the garden and taking turns dug a deep trench next to the sight of Mari's children's graves. Then placing Mari next to her children and then the others, who they could not identify, in the trench and buried them. Jacob offered a prayer. "Let's check the other farms," Jacob said, and they rode off silently. It was dark on the following day when they returned to the village. Three farms had been struck by the marauders and Jacob and David had buried the farm families. Jacob's father walked up to them and Jacob reported on their findings.

"You need to see this," Jacob's father said as he lead them to where they had stored the fallen marauders. "What do you think?"

"Just a group of scum!" David said.

"No, look at them closely."

"I don't understand," Jacob said.

"Look at their hair and clean shaved faces."

"Yea, so?"

"Since when does a group of common criminals take such care with their hygiene."

"So they got a haircut and a shave," David added.

"Look at their clothing and boots," Jacob's father added.

"Imperial guard boots and tailored pants on that one," Jacob said as realization of their identity dawned on him. "They have a star tattoo on the palm of their left hand. What do we do?"

"Burn the bodies and act dumb," Jacob's father said. "The men that defended the village need to hide. The guard will want to punish them."

"What about you Dad."

"I'm an old man," he said then laughed, "they will never suspect me."

"And we need bury the weapons," David said, "They will never let us keep weapons."

"No keep the weapons but hide them."

"Burn the dead horses too and just tell the imperial guard we burned the dead," Jacob added.

The next day the imperial guard rode into the village apparently to protect the village as marauders had been spotted in the area. Jacob's father reported that they had defended themselves. A huge fire was burning just outside the town and they told the guard that it was a funeral pyre for the bandits and lost villagers. Most of the men who had taken part in the battle were already in hiding. Jacob watched as posters were passed out and nailed to any flat surface. He took a poster.The picture on the poster reminded him of Eulia. He was horrified as he read: Fugitive Slave, reward one thousand pounds sterling for any information leading to her arrest; wanted for prostitution, assaulting a magistrate and sedition. The poster described the fugitive as short in stature, good teeth, red haired with green eyes and a tendency toward violence. With that reward Jacob dreaded Eulia would be denounced by the village and her name known by the days end. Once the sun went down he and David left for Agnes's cottage hoping to reach her before she entered the village.